U.S. patent application number 10/778615 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-11 for method and system for measuring web site impact.
Invention is credited to Blumberg, Marc Andrew, Gardetto, Dawn Marie, Levy, Douglas Alan, Pietz, James, Rumpler, Tim, Wolfman, Ian.
Application Number | 20050177413 10/778615 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34827543 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050177413 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blumberg, Marc Andrew ; et
al. |
August 11, 2005 |
Method and system for measuring web site impact
Abstract
The impact of a web site on an intent of a web site viewer to
take a desired action relating to a product or service is measured.
The web site includes a collection of web pages that display
information relating to the product or service. The viewer is
presented with a plurality of questions related to the web site. At
least one of the questions is presented upon the viewer exiting the
web site. A response to at least some of the plurality of questions
is received from the viewer. Based on the response, a metric is
calculated, indicating the impact.
Inventors: |
Blumberg, Marc Andrew;
(Dallas, TX) ; Gardetto, Dawn Marie; (Irving,
TX) ; Levy, Douglas Alan; (Dallas, TX) ;
Pietz, James; (Flower Mound, TX) ; Rumpler, Tim;
(Irving, TX) ; Wolfman, Ian; (Dallas, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Daniel H. Golub
1701 Market Street
Philadelphia
PA
19103
US
|
Family ID: |
34827543 |
Appl. No.: |
10/778615 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/7.32 ;
705/7.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0203 20130101; G06Q 30/0204 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/010 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A method for measuring an impact of a web site on an intent of
at least one web site viewer to take a desired action relating to a
product or service, wherein the web site comprises a collection of
web pages that display information relating to the product or
service, comprising: presenting to the viewer a plurality of
questions related to the web site, wherein at least one of the
questions is presented upon the viewer taking an action indicating
an intent to cease viewing any of the collection of web pages;
receiving from the viewer a response to at least some of the
plurality of questions; and calculating a metric, based on the
response, indicating the impact.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the questions is
presented to the viewer upon the viewer taking an action indicating
an intent to commence viewing at least one of the web pages.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: comparing the metric
to a plurality of other metrics calculated for a plurality of other
web sites, relating to products or services, indicating an impact
of the other web sites on an intent of viewers of the web sites to
take a desired action relating to the products or services.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining, for each
of the viewers, a stage of involvement with the product or service;
categorizing the viewers based on the stage of involvement with the
product or service; and analyzing the metric for each category of
viewers.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of questions relate
to at least one of: a stage of involvement with the product or
service for the viewer; a likelihood the viewer will use or
purchase the product or service; a likelihood the viewer will use
or purchase more of the product or service; viewer demographic
information; a reason for visiting the web site; an opinion on
usability of the web site; and an opinion on success of the web
site.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving from the
viewer, after the viewer ceases viewing the collection of web
pages, an indication of a reported action of the viewer relating to
the product or service.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving from the
viewer, after the viewer ceases viewing the collection of web
pages, an indication of an intended action of the viewer relating
to the product or service.
8. The method of claim 6 further comprising: receiving from the
viewer an indication of whether the viewer's reported action
relating to the product or service was impacted by the viewer's
viewing the web site.
9. The method of claim 7 further comprising: receiving from the
viewer an indication of whether the viewer's intended action
relating to the product or service was impacted by the viewer's
viewing the web site.
10. A system for measuring an impact of a web site on an intent of
at least one web site viewer at a workstation to take a desired
action relating to a product or service, wherein the web site
comprises a collection of web pages that display information
relating to the product or service, comprising: one or more servers
for presenting to the viewer at the workstation a plurality of
questions related to the web site, wherein at least one of the
questions is presented upon the viewer taking an action indicating
an intent to cease viewing any of the collection of web pages;
receiving from the viewer a response to at least some of the
plurality of questions; and calculating a metric, based on the
response, indicating the impact.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to measuring a Web site's
impact on a viewer's intent to take a desired action with respect
to the product or service that is the subject of the Web site.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Brand marketers are responsible for allocating marketing
budgets to the tactics most likely to result in sales growth. They
determine the mix of funding allocated to TV campaigns, print ads,
Internet sites, or other marketing programs. For years, brand
marketers have been trying to assess the degree to which the Web
sites they create lead to incremental sales. They are frustrated
because they are unable to determine how effective their investment
in a Web site is at driving revenue. The metrics they are currently
able to obtain, such as the number of site visitors, what pages are
most popular, and what users think of the site, fail to address the
critical question of brand managers, namely, does my Web site
change my target audience's intent to buy. Thus, there exists a
need for a way to assess the likelihood that a visit to a Web site
will increase sales.
[0003] There are several prior art products that are designed to
assess the usability of Web sites. These products focus on
determining the effectiveness of aspects of the site (such as
organization, navigation, and content) on influencing site
visitors. One such product intercepts site visitors and collects a
database of responses to questions about usability. This product
scores sites on the site's success in meeting usability standards.
Another product sends visitors to a site to conduct market
research. None of these tools provide for measurement of the impact
of a site on a visitor's plan to take action. Also, none use an
exit survey methodology, quantify the propensity of a site to
impact purchase behavior, or offer an analysis of a given site in
comparison to other sites as it relates to change in purchase
intent.
[0004] Other prior art products include log file analysis tools,
which provide basic information on server usage. These products
dissect log files, which are data stores automatically generated by
sites to monitor file requests. The software provides user-friendly
summary reports that show site usage trends, such as the number of
visitors at various times, where site visitors come from, and what
pages were viewed. However, these products also do not address the
question of how successful sites are at changing the opinions and
buying behaviors of visitors.
[0005] Another class of prior art tools invite users to provide
input on Web pages and sites. Typically, users click on a button at
the bottom of the page to give a rating. Web developers and brand
marketers use that rating to gauge satisfaction with particular
pages. This methodology focuses simply on whether users like pages,
not whether the site experience impacts purchase intent. It also
fails to capture information about the user's reason for visiting,
status, or purchase intent prior to visiting the site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is directed to a method and system for
measuring an impact of a web site on an intent of at least one web
site viewer to take a desired action relating to a product or
service. The web site comprises a collection of web pages that
display information relating to the product or service. The viewer
is presented with a plurality of questions related to the web site.
At least one of the questions is presented upon the viewer taking
an action indicating an intent to cease viewing any of the
collection of web pages. A response to at least some of the
plurality of questions is received from the viewer. A metric is
calculated, based on the response, indicating the impact.
[0007] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of
the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain
the principles of the invention.
[0009] In the drawings:
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a system for
carrying out the present invention.
[0011] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate exemplary screens that may be
used in connection with the present invention.
[0012] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate an exemplary entry question
set.
[0013] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an exemplary exit question
set.
[0014] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D illustrate portions of exemplary
reports generated in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate portions of exemplary reports
generated in accordance with the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary follow up e-mail sent to
survey respondents in accordance with the present invention and
FIG. 7B illustrates exemplary follow up survey questions.
[0017] FIGS. 8A and 8B are flow charts illustrating steps of a
method of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a system 100
for carrying out the present invention. One or more client machines
10 are connected over a network 20, such as the Internet, allowing
viewers at the client machines 10 to view Web pages hosted on one
or more servers 30. Collections of related Web pages that display
to a viewer information relating to products or services are
referred to herein as a Web site.
[0019] In accordance with the present invention, visitors to a Web
site are presented with, and respond to, one or more questions from
a survey during their visit to the Web site. In the preferred
embodiment, the Web site viewer receives one or more questions from
the survey upon his entering the Web site and again upon taking an
action indicating his intent to exit the Web site. The particular
viewers selected to receive an invitation to participate in the
survey are chosen randomly in accordance with a predetermined ratio
(e.g., every one of three visitors receives an invitation to
participate in the survey), in the preferred embodiment.
[0020] The following example illustrates a survey conducted with
respect to a Web site that provides information about a drug. While
the illustrated survey is designed for a Web site relating to a
particular kind product (i.e., a drug), the present invention can
be used in connection with Web sites relating to any type of
product or service.
[0021] Referring to the exemplary screens of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the
Web site viewer may be asked in screen 201 if he is interested in
participating in the survey. If he agrees to participate, he may be
given some preliminary instructions in screen 202 and asked to
download a program to client machine 10, which is used to implement
the survey. In one embodiment, Web IQ software, a product of
Usability Sciences Corporation, is used to intercept the survey
responses. Web IQ is software that facilitates the interception of
Web site viewers' responses via JavaScript programming. The
intercept message invites viewers to download and install an
ActiveX application that then presents survey questions, collects
responses, and collects data about the site visit (i.e., pages
visited). However, other methods of collecting the survey responses
are known in the art and can be used in connection with the present
invention.
[0022] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate an exemplary set of entry
questions that may be displayed to viewers upon their entering a
Web site. Also shown are question selection logic statements 304
that dictate which questions are presented to the viewer, based on
the viewer's responses to previously presented survey questions.
Some preliminary questions 301 seeking basic demographic
information about the viewer, such as the viewer's gender and age,
as well as a viewer categorization question, may be presented. In
the preferred embodiment, the viewer is presented with one or more
questions 302 about his stage of product or service adoption (e.g.,
from never having heard of the product or service to being a
frequent user of the product or service). The entry question set
also includes questions 303 relating to the viewer's intent with
respect to use or purchase of the product or service, measured upon
his entering the Web site. For example, these questions may explore
whether a viewer who had never heard of a drug discussed on the Web
site upon entering the Web site intended to talk to his health care
professional about the drug. Similarly, these questions may explore
whether a viewer who was currently taking the drug intended to
renew his prescription for the drug. In the preferred embodiment,
the particular questions 303 presented to the viewer are chosen
based on the viewer's stage of product or service adoption, as
indicated in response to question 302.
[0023] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an exemplary set of exit
questions that are presented to a viewer upon the viewer's taking
some action indicating his intent to exit the Web site. The
specific questions presented upon exit may be based on or tailored
to answers of the viewer in response to one or more of the entry
questions (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B), as indicated by question
selection logic statements 401. In addition, the viewer's answers
to certain of the questions in the exit question set may dictate
the questions presented to the viewer later on in the survey, as
illustrated by logic statements 402. In the preferred embodiment,
questions 403 are presented as part of the exit question set, which
relate to the viewer's intent with respect to use or purchase of
the product or service upon exiting the Web site. In the preferred
embodiment, the particular questions 403 presented to the viewer
are chosen based on the viewer's stage of product or service
adoption. Questions 404 may also be included, directed to the
viewer's opinions on the Web site's usability. The viewer is
preferably asked to include his contact information 405 upon exit
to allow for gaining additional information from the viewer with
regard to the survey at a later date.
[0024] In the preferred embodiment, certain of the questions in
entry question set and exit question set must be answered by the
viewer in order to allow for a complete analysis of the survey
response in accordance with the present invention. If all of the
required questions are not answered, the viewer will be prompted to
provide responses to these questions before exiting the survey.
[0025] Survey results must be gathered from a statistically
relevant number of viewers for a given Web site in order to perform
a meaningful analysis of the results. In one embodiment of the
invention, approximately 200 surveys should be completed for a
meaningful analysis to be performed.
[0026] Upon gathering the survey responses, the data can be
analyzed in accordance with the methods of the present invention.
In particular, in the preferred embodiment, for each stage of
product or service adoption, the percentage of survey respondents
who indicate their intent to take a desired action with respect to
the product or service is determined both at entry to the Web site
and upon exit.
[0027] For example, assume that surveys were completed by 1000
visitors to a Web site. Of the 1000 visitors, 400 of the visitors,
or 40%, had never heard of the product that was the subject of the
Web site, in this case, a drug. Upon entering the site, 100 of the
visitors in this category, or 25%, indicated that they would
discuss the drug with their health care professional (i.e., an
action of visitors in this category desired by the Web site host,
the drug company). Upon exiting the Web site, 300 of the visitors
in this category, or 75%, indicated that they would discuss the
drug with their health care professional. Of the 1000 visitors to
the Web site, 300 of the visitors, or 30%, had a prescription for
the drug, but had not had it filled. Upon entering the site, 100 of
the visitors in this category, or 33%, indicated that they would
start taking the drug (i.e., an action of visitors in this category
desired by the drug company). Upon exiting the Web site, 200 of the
visitors in this category, or 66%, indicated that they would start
taking the drug. Of the 1000 visitors to the Web site, 300 of the
visitors, or 30%, had a prescription for the drug and had refilled
it at least once. Upon entering the site, 250 of the visitors in
this category, or 83%, indicated that they would refill the
prescription (i.e., an action of visitors in this category desired
by the drug company). Upon exiting the Web site, 300 of the
visitors in this category, or 100%, indicated that they would
refill the prescription.
[0028] A weighted average of these percentages is then calculated
to arrive at a metric which quantifies the impact of the Web site
on changing the propensity of a Web site viewer to take a desired
action with regard to the product or service. For example, upon
entry to the Web site, 44.8% of the Web site viewers were likely to
take a desired action with respect to the drug (namely,
(0.40*0.25)+(0.30*0.33)+(0.30*0.83)). Upon exiting the Web site,
79.8% of the Web site viewers were likely to take a desired action
with respect to the drug (namely,
(0.40*0.75)+(0.30*0.66)+(0.30*1.0)). Thus, the impact of the Web
site on changing the propensity of the viewer to take a desired
action for the drug is 78% (namely, (79.8%-44.8%)/44.8%).
[0029] The survey data and results of the analysis performed on
this data can be summarized and conveyed by way of one or more
reports. FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D show portions of an exemplary
report generated in accordance with the present invention
reflecting data gathered from consumer survey respondents visiting
the Web site under investigation. In particular, FIG. 5A
illustrates graphs 501 and 502, which provide demographic
information, such as gender and age, for visitors to the Web site.
Graph 503 illustrates the number of survey respondents in different
categories (i.e., health care professionals or consumers, looking
for information on the Web site for himself or someone else). Graph
504 provides information regarding the frequency with which the Web
site respondents visit the Web site. FIG. 5B provides information
by way of graph 505 regarding the visitors' stated objectives in
visiting the Web site. Graphs 506 provide information regarding
whether the stated objectives were achieved and other information
regarding the usability of the Web site.
[0030] FIG. 5C illustrates the effectiveness of the Web site in
moving visitors along the consumer action continuum. In particular,
graph 507 defines groups of survey respondents based on their
relationship with the product prior to the visit to the Web site
and associates each group with an opportunity for the Web site to
influence a desired action. Graph 508 illustrates the survey
respondents' intent to take a desired action upon entry to the Web
site and again upon exiting the Web site. Referring to FIG. 5D,
graph 509 illustrates the impact of the visit to the Web site upon
the survey respondents' opinion of the product. Graph 510
illustrates the metric, referred to herein as conversion lift,
indicating the influence of a Web site on motivating consumers to
take desired actions along the consumer action continuum.
[0031] Similarly, FIGS. 6A and 6B show portions of an exemplary
report generated in accordance with the present invention
reflecting data gathered from professional respondents visiting the
Web site under investigation. Graph 601 of FIG. 6A provides
information regarding the type of professionals responding to the
survey. Graph 602 provides information regarding the professionals'
involvement with the product that is the subject of the Web site.
Graph 603 provides information relating to the professionals'
stated objective in visiting the Web site and graphs 604 convey
information describing the professionals' opinions regarding
usability of the Web site. Referring to FIG. 6B, graph 605
illustrates the anticipated behavior of the professionals as it
relates to the product as a result of visiting the Web site.
Finally, graph 606 illustrates the shift of attitude of the
professionals toward the product as a result of visiting the Web
site.
[0032] In the preferred embodiment, the reports also compare the
Web site's conversion lift to a normative database of other similar
sites. This might be represented as an index 511, as illustrated in
FIG. 5D.
[0033] At periodic intervals after responding to the survey, follow
up e-mails may be sent to survey respondents to determine how the
respondent's intended behavior and reported behavior with respect
to the product or service compared with the intended behavior the
survey respondent reported in response to the exit question set.
For example, with reference to FIG. 7A, an exemplary follow-up
e-mail is illustrated. FIG. 7B illustrates exemplary follow up
questions.
[0034] FIG. 8A is a flow chart illustrating a method for measuring
an impact of a web site on an intent of a web site viewer to take a
desired action relating to a product or service, in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In step 801, the
viewer views one or more pages from the Web site. In step 802, it
is determined whether the viewer should be presented with an
invitation to take the survey. If so, it is determined, in step
803, whether the viewer has accepted the invitation. If the viewer
accepts the invitation, in step 804, the viewer is presented with a
plurality of questions related to the Web site. At least one of the
questions is presented upon the viewer taking an action indicating
an intent exit the Web site. In step 805, a response to at least
some of the plurality of questions is received from the viewer. In
step 806, a metric, indicating the impact, is calculated based on
the response.
[0035] In the preferred embodiment, in step 807, a stage of
involvement with the product or service is determined for each of
the viewers. In step 808, the viewers are categorized based on the
determined stage of involvement and, in step 809, the metric is
analyzed for each category of viewers.
[0036] With reference to FIG. 8B, in some embodiments, in step 810,
the metric is compared to a plurality of other metrics calculated
for a plurality of other web sites, relating to products or
services, indicating an impact of the other web sites on an intent
of viewers of the web sites to take a desired action relating to
the products or services.
[0037] In some embodiments, in step 811, after the viewer exits the
Web site, an indication of a reported or an intended action of the
viewer relating to the product or service is received from the
viewer. In further embodiments, in step 812, an indication of
whether the viewer's reported or intended action relating to the
product or service was impacted by the viewer's viewing the Web
site is received from the viewer.
* * * * *